Portable cinder pot stand



May 1, 1956 w. JOHNSTON, JR 2,743,893

PORTABLE CINDER POT STAND Filed June 14, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 1,1956 w. JOHNSTON, JR

PORTABLE CINDER POT STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1948 fiYTEIYTOR t'iam fa/uw ton, g.

4.11. Hlil United States Patent 0 PORTABLE CINDER POT STAND WilliamJohnston, Jr., Bedford, Pa.; Peter J. Spangler and H. Alan Floyd,executors of said William Johnston, Jr., deceased Application June 14,1948, SerialNo. 32,757

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-146) This invention relates to the so-called cinderor slag pots for receiving cinder and slag during iron and steel makingoperations and relates particularly to stands for supporting such potsin receiving position adjacent a furnace.

There are certain problems involved in supporting a cinder pot inconvenient position to receive slag from a ladle. In blast furnacepractice it is usual to run a train'of pot-holding buggy cars intoproximity to the furnace. In suchcases the cinder pots receive the slagwhile mounted on the cars and other structure for supporting the pots isunnecessary. In operating open-hearth furnaces, however, the cinder potsare mounted on stands near the furnace and usually between the furnaceand the ingot molds into which molten steel from the furnace is teemed.Slag rising to the top of the teeming ladle thus is slopped oif into thecinder pot in transit of the ladle from the furnace to the ingot molds.After a cinder pot has been filled, it is removed from its stand forconveyance to the slag disposal yard where it is dumped. Alternatively;the filled pots may be transferred to a battery of stands in aconvenient position removed from the furnace, and there held until theircharges of slag have congealed.

Steel makers have found cinder pot stands permanently mounted adjacentopen-hearth furnaces to be inconvenient. Such permanent stands for thecinder pots continuously occupy space within the building which housesthe open-hearth furnace and are particularly objectionable in.obstructing other operations during the relatively long periods oftime-which intervene between periods of'tapping. Also slag which slopsover from the lip of the ladle when the ladle is not in position todeliver it accurately to the cinder pot and slag which froths over thecinder pot collects on and around the stand in such manner that removalof the congealed slag isdiflicult. For i this reason there is need forportable stands which may be arranged in convenient position withrespect to openhearth furnaces to support a cinder pot during a tappingoperation and which can be removed between tapping periods to leave thespace adjacent the furnace unobstructed.

There are, however, certain other problems connected with theutilization of cinder pot stands and in some instances those problemsare intensified when it is attempted to make the cinder pot standsportable. It thus is of primary importance that thecinder pot stand willhold a cinder pot placed in it in stable vertical position, so that thecinder pot is able to retain a full charge of molten slag withoutslopping. Cinder pots themselves are of great weight and, this weight ismore than doubled when the cinder pot is filled, so that a filled cinderpot exerts a downwardly and outwardly directed force on elements of astand in which it is mounted. There is thus a marked tendency for theweight of a filled cinder pot and the thermal expansion of the cinder.pot wall from the heat of its contents to wedge the pot so firmly intothe stan'd i'n -which-it is mounted that the pot cannot be lifted by"ice a crane without also lifting the stand in dependent relation to thecinder pot. That fact and the eifect of thermal expansion of the cinderpot wall against the elements of the stand with which it is in contacttend to deform or strain the cinder pot.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a portable stand forcinder pots which is so constructed and arranged that it acts yieldinglyto grasp and closely to engage a cinder pot supported by it to hold thecinder pot in stabilized vertical position and which readily releases acinder pot for removal in a vertical direction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cinder pot standpresenting the above-noted advantages which is of sectional constructionso that elements of the stand may be readily removed individually fromthe location in which the stand assembly functions to support a cinderpot, and in which those parts may be readily reassembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cinder. pot stand of theabove-indicated sort in which the elements are massive and in which therelation between'the elements of the cinder pot is such that the desiredfunctions of the stand are not destroyed or susceptible to seriousimpairment by the congealing of overflow slag from the cinder pot.

In the accompanying drawings exemplary of one embodiment of myinvention:

Fig. I is a view of the stand partly in elevation and partly in sectionin the plane of the section line I-I of Fig. II, said view indicating inbroken lines the outline of a cinder pot of unspecialized form mountedin the stand and the movement of the pot-engaging arms of the standunder the weight of the cinder pot.

Fig. II is a plan view of the cinder pot stand indicating in brokenlines the outline of a cinder pot in the stand at the horizontal planein which the pot-engaging arms of the stand contact the outer surface ofthe cinder pot wall.

invention, the portable stand consists of a plurality of pot-engagingarms pivotally mounted to extend upwardly and grouped with a spacing andarrangement suitable to receive a cinder pot between them. Thestructural form and mounting of the pivoted potengaging arms is suchthat the weight of the cinder pot exerted on one region of each of thearms brings another region of the arm into engaging contact with theouter surface of the cinder pot wall. In open, pot-receiving, positionthe upper ends of the pivoted arms swing away from each other to alimited extent to a rest position in which a spread structure ispresented for reception of the cinder pot. When a cinder pot is insertedinto such spread structure the upper ends of the arms swing convergentlyinward toward the cinder pot wall until the lower and inner structuresof the arms come to rest on or against a weight-supporting surface orfixed stop, which limits the contractile movement of the structure. Asthe words inward and outward and convergent" and divergent are used withrespect to the swinging movement of the arms, they are used with respectto the upper ends of the arms the linear movement of which naturally isgreater. Each of the. pot-engaging arms of the stand acts independentlyin its swinging movement both inwardly toward the cinder pot wall andoutwardly to release the cinder pot so that the weight of the cinder potacting on the pot-engaging arms Patented May 1, 1956 J independently ofeach other tends of itself to maintain the cinder pot in an axiallyvertical position.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that each of the arms 1 has acenter of pivoting about which it swings. The main body portion 1a ofthe arm extends upwardly and outwardly of the pivot point to an upperregion, or portion 115 which functions as a pot-contacting member anddesirably has a contact face 2 shaped to the outer wall contour of acinder pot. Adjacent the lower end of each of the arms there is meansfor the pivotal mounting of the arms, which will be later described.Here it will be noted that the pivot structure is so formed and arrangedthat when the arm is free of imposed weight or other force, the armtends to swing outwardly until the lower rearward region, or heel, 1c ofits body portion 1a meets anobstruction such as a floor, or base, onwhich the pivot structure for the arm is mounted. At the inner end ofbody portion 1a, there is a vertically extended member, or foot, 1dwhich desirably has an upper face 3 shaped to the bottom contour of acinder pot. Inner region, or foot, 1d acts to limit inward swingingmovement of the arm under forces tending to cause such movement, such asthe weight of a cinder pot on the upper face 3 of that portion of thearm. In order that the lower end 4-o'f the part 1d will more strictlylimit inward swinging movement of the arm, it is shown as extended belowthe bottom surface of body portion 1a of the arm. Such arrangement isuseful when the pivot on which the arm turns is spaced vertically asubstantial distance from the surface which serves as a stop to limitinward swinging of the arm.

Preferred means for mounting pot-engaging arms pivotally are shown inthe drawings. As shown, such pivoting means comprise a plurality ofupwardly extended armsupporting bolsters 5. Each of the bolsters 5 hasthroughout its length a transversely curved upper surface which providespivotal mounting of an arm cooperatively with the structure of the armitself. The pot-engaging arms 1 of the stand each has in its laterallyextended body portion a channel, or socket, member 6 adapted to rest onand embrace one of the bolsters 5. As shown,

four pot-engaging arms are provided to rock each on one of fourbolsters, but it is to be understood that a greater or lesser number ofpivots may be included in the assembly and arranged appropriately forswinging, or rocking movement of a greater or lesser number of armsmounted on them.

In its detail construction the transversely curved inner surface 6a ofsocket member 6 rests rockingly upon the curved surface 5a of thebolster. As shown, the structure of each of the pot-engaging arms 1 isextended downwardly at the ends of socket member 6 in the form of wallsor webs 6b which lie beyond the ends of a bolster on which the arm ismounted and enclose it within the socket of the member. A directlyequivalent pivotal mounting of the pot-engaging arms is obtainable byforming a bolster, or half-trunnion having a transversely curved surfaceat the under side of body portion 1a of the arm to cooperate with atransversely curved socket in which the arm can rock between inward andoutward positions of rest.

Whatever be the means providing horizontal pivots about which the armshave limited swinging movement, the potengaging arms are arranged in agroup, with their pivot points arranged to swing toward and away fromthe wall of a cinder pot positioned within the group. The swingingmovement of the arms thus is divergently outward into pot-receivingposition and convergently inward into pot-engaging position.

Now to consider the assembly and use of the cinder pot stand as shown inFigs. I and II of the drawings, four of the pot-engaging arms 1 areshown as mounted in a group on four bolsters 5, to have rocking movementthereon inwardly toward the vertical axis of the group and outwardlytherefrom. The balance of arms 1 is such that in broken lines in Fig. -Iof the drawings.

4 they normally swing outward to the rest position indicated When acinder pot A is introduced between the arms to bear upon the uppersurfaces 3 of the inner portions, or feet, 1d of the arms, the weight ofthe cinder pot forces feet 1d downwardly until their downward extensions4 bear against an opposed limiting surface, and this action swings thearms inwardly so that the pot-contacting faces 2 of the arms bearagainst the outer surface of the cinder pot. in this action the weightof the cinder pot itself and its contents, if any, serves yieldingly toengage the cinder pot between the arms, to maintain the cinder pot in anaxially upright position. Also any initial tilting of the pot toward oneof the arms 1 causes that arm initially to exert on the cinder pot atthe point of contact therewith a force tending to bring the cinder potinto upright position in contact with the pot-contacting faces onupwardly extended portions 1b of the other arms. As a cinder pot filledwith hot slag is held in upright position, thermal expansion of thecinder pot wall tends to swing the pot-engaging arms 1 outwardly, andthis outward movement is resisted solely by the downward force exertedon the inner regions of the arms by the weight of the cinder pot and itscontents.

The yielding engagement of .the cinder pot in its stand is able to .holdthe cinder pot in upright position while avoiding the undesirable andfrequently destructive di ect of the wedging which takes place when ahot cinder pot is rigidly restrained by a massive structure. Also, if itis desired to hold the cinder pot tilted slightly away from theopen-hearth, it is possible to do so by a slightly tilted mounting ofthe arms. As shown in Fig. l, cinder pot A is of common, unspeciah'zedstructure and conical .form. It is to be understood, however, "that itrequires no more than adaptation .in the shape of the pot-contactingfaces 2 of the arms in order fully .to adapt the stand of the mountingof cinder pots of specialized form, such as those disclosed for examplein my prior Patents Nos. 2,057,528; 2,181,331 and 2,406,380. Also, ifthe cinder 'pot has a bounding wall which departs fundamentally from theCll" cular, such as a cinder pot of generally elliptical or bathtubcontour, the group of arms may be arranged to swing toward and away fromthe outer wall surface to a cinder pot of that contour.

When .the cinder pot is lifted from its stand, there is no engagement ofthe cinder pot by the structure of the stand which tends to prevent thecinder pot being freed from engagement in the stand. Relief from theweight of the cinder pot, or .the .cinder pot and its contents, on theinner regions of those arms releases the 'pot'frorn engagement by thearms, which then are free to swing outwardly on their horizontal pivots.

It is possible and practical to mount the horizontal pivot structuresfor the pot-engaging arms as independent elements grouped to swing intoand out of engagement with the wall of a cinder-pot introduced into thegroup, and in the case of .a cinder pot of conical form spacedequidistantly from the vertical axis of a group of arms mounted on themand arranged in planes normal to radii intersecting that vertical axis.Thus, pivot bolsters or other suitable pivot structure may be formed ofonepiece with or mounted on, independent blocks or brackets placeddirectly on or buried in the floor adjacent the open-hearth furnace. Asshown, the bolsters 5 which cooperatively provide horizontal pivots torpotengag'ing arms 1 are carried by a base structure 7 formed as aonepiece casting which is primarily of circular outline 'but is cut awayregionally and cored centrally for economy in the weight of its includedmetal. The bolsters 5 Ire cast integrally with the main structure of thebase in appropriate arrangement thereon, and holes 8 through thebolsters provide for the insertion of lifting bars to facilitateengagement .of the base by the chainsof a crane. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention, the upper surface 9 of base 7 providesfixed structure which the lower and outer edges, or heels, 1c of thearms come into contact as a limiting stop to define the rest position ofeach arm in divergent, pot-receiving, relation of the group; and uppersurface 9 of the base also provides a limiting stop against which thedependent portions 4 of feet 1d of the arms bear in convergent,pot-supporting, relation of the group.

If it be desired to remove the stand from the position of its use inmounting the cinder pot, arms 1 can be removed and transportedindividually without the performance of any other operation to disengagethem from the base. The base 7 itself then can be lifted and carried asan individual element, that operation being facilitated by the insertionof bars in two or more of the holes 8 extended through bolsters 5.

The provision of pivotal mounting for the pot-engaging arms by thecooperatively curved surfaces of a socket element and a bolster oftrunnion element provided as unconnected elements, presents the specificadvantage of part by part disassembly of the cinder pot stand withoutthe performance of a special disengaging operation between the arms andthe structure on which they are pivotally mounted. It also presentsadvantages of massive structure which requires no accurate machining inorder to provide swinging movement of the arms yieldingly to engage andrelease the cinder pot and a structure which does not readily becomebound or frozen by congealed slag.

As shown in the drawings, the arms of the cinder pot stand are four innumber and are grouped to swing toward and away from a common verticalaxis of the group. It has been explained above that a lesser number ofarms may be used, a group of these arms having proven satisfactory inpractice, or that a greater number of arms may be included in the groupwhen a group comprising more than four arms may be found desirable. Italso has been explained that if the stand is intended for use with acinder pot which is not circular in horizontal section, the arms whileswinging in generally convergent and divergent direction will not swingtoward and away from a common vertical center. If such nonconical cinderpot be of the generally elliptical, or bathtub form, more than four armspreferably are included in the group.

Having illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention it is tobe understood that various modifications is the form and arrangement ofparts may be made therein, and that limitation upon the invention is tobe imposed only by the terms of the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sectional cinder pot stand of massive structure comprising a baseand a cooperative group of pot-engaging arms mounted on horizontalpivots on said base, the mounting of said arms being a free pivotalbolster and socket mounting between each of the said arms adjacent thelower end thereof and the said base for simple removal of lifting ofeach said arm individually from said base, the said pot-engaging armsbeing extended upwardly from their said pivot points to swingconvergently and divergently between pot-receiving and potsupportingpositions, said arms each including a contact member extended outwardlybeyond the pivot point of the arm and the weight distribution of thearms being such as to cause the upper ends thereof to swing outwardlyunder gravity bringing the said contact members into rest position onthe base to define the divergent potreceiving position of the arms as agroup, and said arms also each including a pot-carrying member extendedinwardly of the pivot point of each of the said arms that movesdownwardly into rest position on the said base under the weight of acinder pot thereon, with swinging movement of the arms as a group intoconvergent position of the upper ends thereof to engage the wall of thecinder pot and with elevation of the said outwardly extended contactmembers of the arms.

2. A sectional cinder pot stand of massive structure comprising a baseand a cooperative group of pot-engaging arms mounted on horizontalpivots on said base, the mounting of said arms being a free unsecuredpivotal mounting between each of the said arms adjacent the lower endthereof and the said base for simple removal by lifting of each said armindividually from said base, the said pot-engaging arms being extendedupwardly from their said pivot points to swing convergently anddivergently between pot-receiving and pot-supporting positions, saidarms each including a contact member extended outwardly beyond the pivotpoint of the arm and the weight distribution of the arms being such asto cause the upper ends thereof to swing outwardly under gravitybringing the said contact members into rest position on the base todefine the divergent pot-receiving position of the arms as a group, andsaid arms also each including a pot-carrying member extended inwardly ofthe pivot point of each of the said arms that moves downwardly into restposition on the said base under the weight of a cinder pot thereon, withswinging movement of the arms as a group into convergent position of theupper ends thereof to engage the wall of the cinder pot and withelevation of the said outwardly extended contact members of the arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS401,193 McLean Apr. 9, 1889 529,953 Presnell Nov. 27, 1894 574,424Hoffman Ian. 5, 1897 1,021,328 Noll Mar. 26, 1912 1,530,024 Washbum Mar.17, 1925 2,028,129 Allerton Jan. 21, 1936 2,455,025 Schroeder Nov. 30,1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 64,051 Germany of 1892

